Display cabinet



Aug. 1, 1950 J. E. GAUVREAU DISPLAY CABINET 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1947 HQE- m w n m Patented Aug. 1, 1950 @FICE DISPLAY CABINET Joseph E. Gauvreau, Somerville, Mass., assigner to E. F..Kemp, Inc., Somerville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts "Application September 9, 1947, Serial No. 773,017

a display cabinet whose contents are always fully exposed to view from all sides and whose interior may be maintained at a predetermined temperature by means which also illuminates the contents of the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a displaycabinet of the character described including a normally closed housing provided with an adjustable closure section and having all of its top and side walls made from colorless transparent thermoplastic sheet material, such as.

Plexiglas or other synthetic resin, and directly integrated so as to minimize the employment of metallic coupling members or fasteners.

To these ends I have provided an improved display cabinet which, in the preferred embodiment thereof, may be constructed and utilized as set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being particularly pointed out and defined in the claim at the close of said description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved display cabinet.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 or Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation 0f the display cabinet shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line fi--A of Figure 3.

The illustrated embodiment of this invention comprises a housing consisting of but two sections including a body section ID and a closure section II, both of which are made from transparent synthetic thermoplastic sheet material such as synthetic resin. Each of these two sections is made up of a plurality of originally separate panel elements that are directly united cr integrated by means of cement or a solvent to form a unitary one-piece structure thereby dispensing with metallic coupling elements.

The body section ID comprises a rectangular shallow base portion I2 made with a flat horizontal bottom wall I3 to seat upon a counter or other support that is indicated by broken lines at III in Fig. l; with a relatively low perpendicular rear Wall I5; with two oppositely disposed perpendicular side walls I6 and Il, and with a front wall I8.

i claim. (ci. 31a-ias) This base portion of body section ID is divided interiorly into a series of bins or compartments by a plurality of relatively parallel perpendicular transparent partitions I9"which arealso parallel with the oppositely disposed side walls I6 and I'I, and these compartments are adapted to "hold various kinds of nuts, or other merchandise, all of which is exposed to view of a customer viewing the device from the front thereof as: indicated by the arrow X in Fig. 1, or from any other side of the device.

For approximately one-half `of their' fore and aft lengths the oppositely disposed sidewalls I6 and I'I are made adjacent to the front, of the cabinet with upward extensions I6 and I'I whose upper portions are of quadrantallform anddisposed with their curved marginal portions'uppermost and facing forwardly.

The front wall I8 of base I2 is made at its top with an upward extension I8 which is lintegrated at its opposite sides with the marginal portions of extensions I6 and I'I' ofthe oppositely disposed side walls I5 and I'I of base I2. The upper portion of the front wall extension I8 is of arcuate shape complementing the arcuate shape of the curvedl portions of the side wall extensions I6 and Il" with" which itis connected. In this manner the base I2 is provided at its front with an upwardly extending superstructure whose top is approximately of the form of a quadrant of a hollow right cylinder that is closed at its opposite ends by the quadrantal walls I6 and Il'.

The front wall extension I8 is concentric with the axes of two axially alined pintles or bolts 20 mounted in the oppositely disposed side wall extensions II and Il' by which the closure section II (Fig. l) is pivotally connected with said side wall extensions for angular adjustment relatively thereto.

Closure section II is constructed with a rear Wall 2l whose upper portion is arcuate and concentric with the axes of the pintle bolts 20 and interiorly of slightly greater radius than the radius of the outside of the front wall extension I3. At its opposite sides the rear wall 2l is provided with approximately quadrantal side walls 22 and 23 which are apertured 'to receive the bolts 29, said side walls 22 and 23 being spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the exteriors of the side walls I6 and I'I and overlapping the same as shown in Fig. 1.

The side wall extensions I6' and II of base I2 are oiset inwardly from the side walls I6 and I'I somewhat (Fig. 2) to permit the closure section 3 Il to seat on the tops of said side Walls I6 and I1 and rear Wall l5 when said closure section occupies its closed position as shown in Fig. 1, Where its exterior is ush with the exteriors of said walls. Thus base l2 limits pivotal movement of section H in one direction While a stop 9 provided upon the interior of rear wall 2l of closure section4 I l limits the opening movement of said section to ninety degrees through its engagement with the upper end of the front wall extension I8 of base l2 (Fig. 4.). While the closure section occupies its closed position its Center of gravity is disposed rearwardly with respect to the pivots 20 so that it is held in that position by gravity and when said closure section occupies its open position its center of gravity is disposed forwardly with respect to said pivots 2l] so that it is held in that position by gravity.

A handle lug 24 is provided upon the exterior of rear wall 2l of closure section Il by means of which thela-tter may be manually 4adjusted from yorieimsition to the other.

Aliilaslaers8 mounted upon the pintle bolts 2li `beiii/Veen.the side Walls 22 and 23 serve to maintain gaidWalls-,spaced apart slightlyso that rubbing Acontact is avoided,

Within the. cabinet constructed as above den `scribed I may provider an elongate sheet metal ,reflector-shade ziastened `to the upper end or" .the iront. wall extension IS Aby .means of hangers 26, one near each end thereof, andwithin this rent, 'lhese-lanfipsserve to illuminate the contents of. the Compartinents of base Yl2 and also,

in the case of certain kinds of nuts, to maintain the. interior of thecabinet at a desired temperattire.

While. I preferito .construct the two sections H1 and l I from transparent synthetic resin as above described,Y itis to be `understood that said sections vmay be made from any other suitable rigid and transparent material, such es transparent glass, With or without the use of coupling elements hereinbeiore referred to.

What I claim is:

A display cabinet comprising two sections of transparent material whereof one section is constructed with a relatively shallow rectangular tray-like base made at its front with a superstructure whose upper portion approximates in form that of a quadrant of a hollow right cylinder having oppositely disposed flat side walls that are inwardly offset integral extensions of the oppositely disposed side Walls of said tray-like base and also having a front wall that is an integral extension of the front wall of said traylike base and Whose upper portion is rearwardly arcuate, andthe other section consisting of an adjustable closure section that approximates in form that of a quadrant of a hollow right cylinder having a forwardly arcuate rear Wall normally seated upon the top of the rear wall of said traylike base with its upper end overlapping the upper end of the arcuate front wall of said superstructure and also having oppositely disposed flat side Walls normally Seated upon `tlietopsof the voppositely disposed side Walls of said trayvlike base and permanently overlapping the oppo- Stely disposed inwardly oiset side walls of said superstructure, and means pivotally connecting the overlapping side `walls of the closure section and superstructure concentrically withrespect to the arcuate portions of said closure section and Superstructure,

JOSEPH E. GAUVREAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe Ile .of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Nulllber Name Date D. 11,058 Brown Mar. 11, 1872 250,908 Gordon Dec. 13, 1881 272,875 Gordon et al. Feb. 27, 1883 412,544 yRood Oct. v8, 1889 1,680,952 VDSllalrdt Aug. 14, 1928 ,2,031,908 Sawin Feb. 25,1936 1,213,826 Young June 14, 1938 2,351,335 Holmes June 13, 19/4 EtessingerA Nov. '7,1944 

